Types of services available for the aged

Nutritional services: It helps to detect their early dislike, to build their immunity, it help to build nutritional status.
Personal hygiene: To prevent odour and infection.
Environmental health services: To clean all their surrounding, to avoid accident.
Health services: It prevents them from been prone to infection by developing them.
Health education services: It help them to be aware of the health problem.
Social services: (a) It help to control loneliness.

(b) It prolongs their life.

Medical services.

The importance of these services

Nutritional service. The aged need good food at all times. Therefore adequate diet should be given to them. This will help build their nutritional status. To boost immunity to be able to infection.
Personal hygiene. This should not be avoided as it will go along way preventing infection. Cut their nails, bath them, cut their hair, shave their beards, wash their cloths and keep their beddings clean.
Environmental health services. Clean their environment. Provide good water supply clean and well cooked food, keep their floor clean.
Health care services. E.g immunization when there is an outbreak of disease. Deworm them; preventive care should be given to them.
Health education services. The health education services are aged related focusing on such areas as, personal hygiene, prevention of home accident, creating time for rest and simple carrying out exercises.
Social services. Take them out for recreational services; show them within the family circles e.t.c government should provide transport and facilities that will make them happy and keep them going. Local health authority should care for them, as well provide helpers for them, visit them always to avoid loneliness. Give them good accommodation. The aim of all these services is to prolong their lives and make them happy.
Medical services. This is more of curative. Take them to the hospital for check up. Treat and remedy any defect detected.

Types of services for the aged in the family, community and health care facility

The family

Personal care: This includes bathing, washing hair and dressing.
Homemaking: Some grocery stores and drug stores will take orders over the phone and offer delivery services. Cleaning services can help with laundry, and some dry cleaners offer pickup and delivery.
Meals: Many home care agencies provide homemakers who can cook meals. Also, look into programs like Meals on Wheels, which bring hot meals into elderly people’s homes.
Money management: Paying bills late or not at all can become an issue as parents age. The process can be tiring or hard to keep track of for a person of any age.
Mobility: Getting around at home and in town when an aging parent has trouble walking or getting in and out of chairs can be difficult.

The community

Responsibilities and duties of the community to the aged include:

Providing care and support to the aged with a disability, whom are frail aged and/or their families/carers. Activities include but are not limited to personal care – showering, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, transport to appointments, social support and companionship, domestic assistance, medication prompts, etc.
Work in line with the Care Plan and contribute to stakeholder meetings as requested (support workers) or maintain a diary whilst the client is on placement (host home providers)
Advocate on behalf of aged if necessary
Observe and report changes in the aged health and wellbeing
Comply with relevant legislation

Health care facilities

Health care facilities workers provide physical and emotional support to older people who require assistance with daily tasks.
They provide assistance to clients under defined care plans based on their specific needs, with a view to improving their quality of life. This may include helping elderly people with regular activities such as dressing, washing, eating, taking medication, maintaining a safe and clean environment for the client, and encouraging them to engage with their community where possible.
They also monitor their clients for changes in physical and mental health, which may include: increased discomfort, loss of mobility, a decline in hearing or sight, or signs of depression.
Assisting clients with personal care activities.
Providing companionship and support during daily activities.
Performing household tasks such as preparing meals, laundry, shopping and cleaning.
Implementing strategies for managing dementia and other health issues.
Delivering activities that promote emotional and intellectual stimulation.
Maintaining a safe living environment by minimising or removing safety risks or hazards.
Transporting clients to appointments, outings and social engagements.
Using equipment to assist clients with limited mobility such as hoists, swivel cushions and wheelchairs.
Implementing care programs for clients in residential care facilities.
Liaising with other health care professionals, family members and carers.

The Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging

The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and the Political Declaration was adopted at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in April 2002. The Madrid Plan of Action offers a bold new agenda for handling the issue of ageing in the 21st-century. It focuses on three priority areas:

Older persons and development;
advancing health and well-being into old age; and
ensuring enabling and supportive environments.

It is a resource for policymaking, suggesting ways for Governments, non-governmental organizations, and other actors to reorient the ways in which their societies perceive, interact with and care for their older citizens. And it represents the first time Governments agreed to link questions of ageing to other frameworks for social and economic development and human rights, most notably those agreed at the United Nations conferences and summits of the past decade.